Something had to be said at the Oscars about the
war according to
Michael Moore, as more members of the entertainment industry use
interviews to make their feelings known.

Should celebrities keep their political opinions to themselves?

What you said.

It is unforunate that more was not said by Moore on the ottricities happening in Congo while nothing is done. I also noticed he did not mention the people in Iraq who are oppresed by the regime there.

J Amell

When we begin believing that the sanctity of the celebrity and the ceremony of the glitzy awards show have are exempt from the issues such as war, we may as well give up. Perhaps we should also refrain from minute silences at the footy on Anzac day and star studded fund raises for tragedies such as Sept 11. Celebrities, for all their faults and all their successes, have to inhabit this world too.

The Greer

Good on ya Mike Moore. 20 million hits a day on his web site means he's hitting a nerve. He's managed to verbalise the nagging feeling felt by millions around the world that maybe Bush is an idiot and just maybe he's leading the world into something that could take generations to get out of.

Michael Findlay

Yeah how dare those celebrities have an opinion! I mean it's not like they're affected by the same things everyone else is!!Michael Moore has been protesting against this war since day one and is probably more widely read and informed than some people would care to acknowledge - you sort of have to be to make films, television shows and documentries for a living. For him to speak out at the Oscars couldn't be more appropriate, given the nature of his work! Regardless of whether you agree with him or not, the amount of research and development that goes into his work should be enough for people to acknowledge he is not a celebrity but a film maker author and social commentator. Besides, how is a celebrity opinion any less valuable than any of the opinions here on this forum? They are people speaking up about things they disagree with. I wonder if there were more celebrities outspoken about supporting the war would it bother so many of the people on this forum?

Leave it out

The idea that when you become a celebrity you then lose all right to make your views public is nonsense. Micheal Moore, a passionate and vocal film maker is simply exercising his right to what we are supposedly fight in Iraq for, that is, not having unimformed morons and bigots telling you to shut up.

Andrew Esteban

I see no points from the people who are against Michael. Everyone has politics view. That is why we need to vote for our political leader in the election. Everyone can choose his(her) way to express his(her) political view. If there is a category called Celebrity Politics then we can have many categories - Kicthen Hand Politics, Cleaner Politics, Military Politics, f...? Politics so on. There is no point to discuss the Politics category here. You stupid idiot!

Nonidiot

People who think Moore's speech was inappropriate probably do not know that the documentary was about Americans, guns and armed conflict. It focused on how Amercians tend to resolve disputes (or get their own way) through violence. The film contained footage of Lockheed factories, US imperialism over the centuries, the US gun lobby group NRA, and Wal-Mart selling firearms. If Moore had waited until the end of the current Presidency he could have included many more examples of US military imperialism. But the film has to be printed sometime and he can't just keep on collecting footage indefinitely. No surprise that his speech followed the same anti-war theme. Michael Moore is not an entertainer. An actor?? Get real!! What characters has he played? He has never even memorised a script! He is an agitator. His goal in life is to go on moral crusades and voice his opinion. It is fortunate that his films also happen to be entertaining because this means his opinions are more widely heard. His comments did not venture into areas where he has no clue what he is talking about (contrast with comments by Kevin Sheedy, Tom Cruise etc). Many other Oscar winners probably had similar views to Moore, but he alone was prepared to stick his neck out object to his countrymen fighting this war. It is difficult to find Americans as brave and admirable as Moore.

S. P. Hardy

I see Mie is espousing hisher bigotry against the West as usual. Performers for want of a better name should do what they are over paid to do and stop loud mouthing about the war in Iraq in particular because their opinion is meaningless, they sound like ill informed fools, and their opinion means nothing.Stick to acting and leave the politics out of it, its also a case of double standards, capitalists ranting about the victims, I wonder if they contribute their millions to those they claim to support ie. asylum seekers, war victims, Iraqi's, etc etc etc

B. Hunter

Celebrities have no particular expertise or unique knowledge on the military or political issues in Iraq. However, they do get exposure from the media but only if they have something controversial to say. It doesn't add anything to an understanding of the issue but may be seen as advancing their public image. They are after all actors who for the most part take roles as dictated by writers and dramatists. What, for example, would Heath Ledger know about Iraq, the Middle East and it's background? That doesn't mean he is not entitled to have a view, but rather that it shuoldn't be accorded any special value.

Bill hartigan

Celebs, sporting icons and any other person in the public eye should keep their views private. Politics should be left to the politicians, as too often celebs are poorly informed. Added to that, they run a great risk of offending many. There are people who both support and oppose the war and as such, care should be taken by our idols.

CB

I sympathise with Mike Moore, and enjoy his documentaries tv shows, but find myself disaggreeing with most of his views. And for him to use the Oscars as a platform for his political viewpoint is consistent with how he operates, and that is fine. However, i draw the line at true celebrities, famous actors especialy who ponitificate on matters of importance, when they can only recite the standard rhetoric and shallow slogans. As professionals, they are as a group largely uneducated, repeat the lines written by a scriptwriter, are told where to stand and how to behave by a film director, and whatever 'artistic' skill they bring is a result of someone elses direction (producer, casting director etc). I refuse to take my political advice from glorified maniquins.

Roberto

He's an idiot. At a time when people were looking for something positive to think about for a few hours, this moron gets up on stage, and, instead of a speech that should have been filled with joy, thanks and praise, he decided to upset everyone and push his views onto us. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but seriously, there is a time and a place for it. The Academy Awards wasn't it.

MC Hammer

I dont see why Heath Ledger or Judy Davis have any more right than, say, Steve Waugh, to air their thoughts on the war in Iraq. Theyre certainly entitled to their opinions, I just wonder why they get so much air time for their views...

james graham

While I don't agree with Michael Moore's views, I do know he is a celebrated documentary maker. Unlike mose 'celebrities' that jump on the band wagon (Can we say Heath Ledger), at least Michael Moore has some idea of what he is talking about.

Realist

Well done Michael Moore. Not only is it a right for artists with public profile to protest this war, it is an obligation. War is destruction greed and deception, real art is the creation and the celebration of truth. They are complete opposites. No real artist can agree with any war. Celebrities however will agree with anyting their PR people tell them to. Speak up celebrity artists, we need your voices.

shane Wales

Michael Moore, Heath Ledger, Judy Davis, what gives these 'performers' the right to a public platform to air their political views. They are meant to be performers, not politicians. Like everyone they have an opionion but we the public, dont want to hear their own bigoted political point of view. Its bad enough having to listen to their continual self indulgent back slapping without hearing their own views on how the world should be run.They are usually ignorant of the facts and ill informed. Ledger is a twit who made such a fool of himself, Davis was ill informed and very ignorant re the Iraqi war, and Moore was just a major embarrasment ,yelling above the booing. As for the anti war 'movie stars' Sarandon and Co, stick to making movies, we dont need ill informed rhetoric from those from the 'arts', they are not qualified to pass an opinion worth listening to.Why do they think their opinion holds any water? Just a bunch of nobodies really.

Fiona

Michael Moore is hardly the type of celebrity you seem to be referring to here. If anyone has seen any of Mike Moore's previous work, you'd know that his comments were directly in line with the content he produces and the issues he campaigns against, including the moviedocumentary he won the oscar for.Whether celebrities in general should or shouldn't use their public profile to support their political views is another issue. Mike Moore's public profile has come as a direct result of his politics.

Matthew Pegg

Michael Moore is not just a celebrity', he is a documentary film maker and a passionate and radical man. Why is everyone so surprised that he said what he did? I would have expected nothing less from one so enraged by the war in Iraq.And why are we so concerned by celebrities' and what they can and cannot say? Everyone on this planet should be allowed freedom of speech.And just remember as Moore said silence, when you observe wrongs being committed, is the same as committing those wrongs yourself'.